Double Stroller - ON HIATUS
by melistories
Summary: The wind is hot, and I'm sticky and sweaty and need to go home and take a shower. I should be taking advantage of the fact that we're done early for the day, but I'm not. Instead, I'm sitting in my truck, waiting for the mom with the double stroller to walk by. I do this every day of the week and even though I worry I'm becoming a little creepy, I can't seem to stop myself. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

The wind is hot, and I'm sticky and sweaty and need to go home and take a shower. I should be taking advantage of the fact that we're done early for the day, but I'm not. Instead, I'm sitting in my truck, waiting for the mom with the double stroller to walk by. I do this every day of the week and even though I worry I'm becoming a little creepy, I can't seem to stop myself.

It's my favourite part of the day.

I first noticed this woman who I've dubbed – _double stroller mom_ \- on the Monday we started working to replace the sidewalks in the older neighbourhood on the east end of town. She was walking at a quick pace on the opposite side of the street, pushing a double stroller with one child jumping up and down in it, and another that looked like a baby. Behind her trailed a young girl, maybe five or six years old, who was trying to keep up. About thirty minutes later I saw her again, this time with only the two smaller children in the stroller. Later in the day she was walking by again, hunched over the double stroller with a look of determination on her face. An hour after that she was back with the young girl, but this time they were walking slower and chatting as the child twirled around and smiled.

Tuesday the scene repeats itself, and then again on Wednesday. I can almost set my clock by her. I suspected she lived at the far end of the street, where the construction crew I'm working with was ripping up old sidewalks and replacing them with new. It's an older neighbourhood and the sidewalks are in desperate need of repair. Not all of the corners had curb cuts, and I would watch, as this slight woman would hoist her double stroller up over the high curb, her muscles flexing on her forearms and biceps as she did so. For a woman who looks so fragile, her arms appear surprisingly strong. They would have to be if she is pushing that massive stroller around all day long.

It takes us about three weeks to complete the first batch of sidewalks. This includes cutting the concrete, ripping out the old ones, along with about two feet of everyone's lawn, and then rebuilding the base, pouring the concrete and all the other bits and bobs of building a new sidewalk. It's hard, sweaty work, but it pays well for a summer job and if I'm going to run my own crew someday, I need to start at the ground and work my way up. Ripping and pouring concrete for sidewalks is about as literal an interpretation of 'ground-up' as one can get.

My curiosity was getting the better of me and causing me to become distracted at work. I started timing my breaks so I was sitting in my truck when she would walk by – that way, I could get a closer look. At first I thought she might be a nanny since she looked so young. But, one day, as I sat and stared at her in my rearview mirror (in what I will admit is creepy, stalker fashion) I heard the oldest girl call her Mommy so that took care of that theory.

XXXXXXX

"Hey Edweirdo, here comes your mom-crush."

"Shut the fuck up Emmett," I hiss under my breath while punching him in the shoulder. My cousin wasn't wrong, but I certainly didn't need her hearing him. We were finishing up screeding the sidewalk, so I couldn't take my break yet and was going to miss out on watching her and her children walk by.

"Good afternoon ma'am!" Emmett called while waving his giant arm back and forth like an idiot.

I want to bury my head in the ground right now, so I don't turn around until I hear giggling. A lot of giggling.

When I do turn around, I see that the mom and her girls have stopped. The little redhead, who is usually bouncing in her seat, is waving her arms in a kind of funny imitation of Emmett, and the older girl is hiding behind her mom.

"I'm three!" Red says and starts climbing out of the stroller as she continues to talk at us. She looks like she is going to run across the street but a few words from her mom and she quickly turns back around and sits. I can't hear what double stroller mom says, but from the tone, they were short and sharp and had a swift effect on the little bouncer.

Then the mom turns to us. This is the first time I've had the chance to make eye contact with her, and I feel my mouth go dry. She has these big brown eyes that, if I'm honest, seem a little too big. She looks slightly haunted, or haggard or maybe just tired. Anyway, she looks like she needs a hug and a whole lot of food. I notice that her shoulders are a little too sharp and are poking out of her t-shirt. She is pale and somewhat sweaty as though that stroller is a large boulder and she is Sisyphus.

But then she smiles at us and her whole look changes. It's a shy smile, not a huge, face-breaking grin, but it's enough to make something inside me ache a little.

"Thank you," she says quietly, but loud enough for us to hear on our side of the street. "I'm so grateful for the new sidewalks, and I know I'm not the only person on this street who feels that way." Then she gives a shy little wave and once again begins pushing the stroller. The older girl who was hiding behind her skirt provides us with a small smile and a shy little wave too, and the action is so identical to her mom that the ache inside grows as I watch them walk away.

The guys and I stand there watching them walk away in silence until Emmett yells, "Bye Red!" at the top of his voice and a little hand pops up over the top of the stroller and starts waving.

We laugh and then start talking about all the people on the street who have been very ungrateful that we are ripping up their sidewalks and redoing them.

It was nice to get a thank you for a change.

XXXXXXXX

Each block of sidewalk, from corner to corner, takes a couple weeks to replace. Once the first set is done, we cross the street and start on the next. Today is Saturday, but after a couple days of hard rain that prevented us from working, we are making up for lost time. I'm a little bummed because I figure I won't be seeing the double stroller today, but just as that thought enters my mind, I see it making **its** way down the street. In fact, they're crossing the street towards us. The guys and I stand there watching, all thoughts of raking through the gravel and dirt to build up the new sidewalk forgotten.

Red, of course, is the first one to say anything.

"Hi, giant man!" She yells when she sees Emmett.

"Hiya Red," he says grinning like a fool. I can't say I blame him, though; it's hard not to smile when you see her.

"We made cibbabin buns!" Sure enough, in her hands is a container that she is barely holding on to because she is vibrating with excitement.

"Hi," double stroller mom says quietly. "We made these as a thank you."

I can tell she is nervous as she glances around at us. I like to think her eyes linger on me a little longer than anyone else, but that's probably wishful thinking.

"These," she points to the container Red is holding, "have raisins. And these," she pulls her little mini-me out from behind her, "don't, because I know not everyone likes them."

"Who doesn't like raisins?" Emmett bellows and to my surprise stroller mom throws her head back, laughs and says, "I know, right?" Then she looks embarrassed by her actions and tells us again that they are a thank you for replacing the old sidewalks. Now that she's finished, she looks like she wants to run away.

As she turns to go, leaning over and pushing her weight into the double stroller to make it turn, I realize I've been holding my breath the whole time.

"Wait!" I say.

Everyone turns and stares at me. I think even the baby is staring at me.

"Um, where do we return your containers?" Oh man, that was lame I think, and inwardly beat myself up. I know Emmett is going to be ribbing me all afternoon.

"Oh," she says. "You can just leave them across the street on top of that electrical box," and she points to a grey box on the corner of a lawn. "We can pick them up on our way back from the playground."

"We going to have a pic-mick!" says Red. Well, she yells it. I think she only has one volume.

"Oh man, these are so good," says Emmett around a mouthful of cinnamon bun. "A picnic! I love picnics. Can I come?" He laughs, and Red laughs, and double stroller mom turns a little red but smiles and shakes her head as she makes her way across the street.

I watch as she leans in to use her weight to tilt the stroller back so she can get it up over the curb. I wonder how much weight she's pushing? Red looks like a solid kid and that baby must be close to a year old because it doesn't look exactly new. I watch as all the muscles contract and move as she hefts the back wheels over the curb and I fight the urge to run over and help her. Something tells me she wouldn't appreciate that gesture.

Emmett leans over and tells me to wipe the drool off my face. I punch him in the shoulder.

"So," he says. "Notice anything missing?"

I pretend I don't know what he is talking about, but I totally know, and I totally noticed.

Double stroller mom wasn't wearing a ring.

XXXXXXX

Weeks later, I'm on my hands and knees in a dugout that was once a sidewalk and will be again soon, when I hear a soft sniffling sound. Looking up, I see two, small, bare feet with toenails that look as if they're painted with sparkly pink dirt. As I slowly stand and raise my eyes, I notice knobbly knees just under the hem of a short pink nightgown with multi-color cupcakes printed all over it. I start chuckling at the cuteness of it all, but quickly stop when I see her face. It's double stroller mom's little mini-me. Her brown eyes look abnormally large on such a little face and for a moment, she just stares at me. Brushing the dirt off my hands, I look up at the house and then back at the girl. She looks as though she is going to be sick, but in a small, quiet voice she says "my mom," and "blood" in such a way that it leaves me cold.

Running up the steps towards the house, I hear noise: a kettle screaming, a baby crying, and faintly, the sound of another child babbling. Opening the front door, the first thing I see are a whole lot of little girl shoes in a short hallway that leads to a kitchen. There, on the floor is a hand and a long slim arm disappearing behind a wall.

I slowly walk forward, afraid of what I'm going to find when I enter the room. Behind me, I hear mini-me closing the door. Turning into the kitchen, the scene slowly unfolds before me as more and more of double stroller mom's body is revealed. She lies on the ground, her face covered by a curtain of dark hair with a small pool of blood by the right side of her head. In a highchair nearby, the baby is screaming and banging a spoon on a tray. I simultaneously take my phone out of my pocket while I reach to shut off the kettle. As I dial 911, I turn around to see mini-me watching me closely.

"I'm calling an ambulance," I tell her. "It'll all be okay," I say even though I really have no idea if it will or not. I truly hope I'm not lying.

"911 Operator, how may I assist you?"

"Hi, there's been an accident, a woman has been hurt and we are going to need an ambulance. She's unconscious."

"What is your location sir?"

Shit! Quickly I run outside to look at the house number and give the operator the address. When I rush back into the kitchen, mini-me is sitting on the floor beside her mother holding her hand and rubbing her back.

"What is the woman's name sir?"

I crouch down beside the little girl just to be closer to her. "Can you tell me your mom's name?"

"Bella," her small voice cracks.

"Bella Swan."

* * *

 **A/N:** So, I spent a lot of time telling myself I wasn't going to start publishing again until I had finished a story but apparently I like the pressure of having a deadline. Many of you will recognize this first chapter from the **Meet the Mate** contest where **Double Stroller** came in 3rd Place in the Public Vote (thank you everyone who voted). It's been a year but I'm finally getting back into the story. The first two chapters will contain the material from the contest with some minor changes, and then chapter three will start with all new material. My goal is to publish every Friday. I have no idea how long this story will be but I don't plan on it being too long. Maybe 10 chapters? I guess it depends what the characters have to say.

Thanks again to **SunflowerFran** for editing this. I will admit that I didn't follow all her suggestions because Edward talks to himself in his head a lot and not everything he says is grammatically correct. **Darcysmom** had a red pen in this too during the contest so between the two of them they make sure the commas are going in the right place and I'm not writing too much of a stream of consciousness. All mistakes are mine.

The usual disclaimers apply: I don't own these characters or the Twilight world, we all know who does. This is the only time I will mention that because we all know it. This plot is mine though. I used to own a large double stroller and I have three daughters so make of that what you will.

Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next Friday!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As we wait for the ambulance, I look around to assess the situation. The operator told me not to move the woman, so first thing: deal with the baby. I stand there awkwardly for a moment and stare at the baby as it screams. Mini-me lets go of her mother's hand and gets up off the floor, walks over to a drawer, and takes out a cloth. Pushing a chair up against the sink she gets up, turns on the water and waits, testing it with her finger until - I'm assuming - she deems it an appropriate temperature before she wets the cloth. She gets down and starts wiping up the baby's face and hands and then she cleans up the tray and puts the spoon in the sink. Taking off the tray, she looks up at me. "I can't undo her buckle," she says. "Oh," I reply lamely and shake myself into action. Mini-me then picks up her baby sister (I assume, she's a she since she's dressed in pink and it is probably wrong to address a baby as "it") and carries her into the living room, plops her on the carpet, and shoves a soother in her mouth and a stuffed rhinoceros in her hand. Then she comes back into the kitchen and sits down beside her mom.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she whispers. "I shouldn't have slept in this morning."

This poor kid. I need to call her something other than mini-me.

"Hey," I say to her. "What's your name?"

"Margaret, but everyone calls me Maggie."

"Can I call you Maggie?"

She nods her head.

"This isn't your fault Maggie. I think maybe your mom tripped and hit her head on something." At least, that's what it looks like. It looks as though she was in the middle of feeding the baby and boiling water. I look around the kitchen, and while it is a mess, I notice that there are two, kid-sized bowls of fruit on the table at two place settings. It looks like cut up kiwi and mango. A half eaten bowl of some sort of brown baby mush – banana? - is on the table near the high chair. This woman was obviously in the middle of something, so this must have been a freak accident. It doesn't look like anyone attacked her.

The two bowls of fruit remind me that I know there is another child, the one that the guys and I call Red, that lives here – and that's when she makes herself known from somewhere in the house.

"Mom-mee, I poo-ooed!"

XXXXXXX

I learn that there are three little girls, plus Double Stroller Mom, in this house. Maggie is six, Frances, or Franny, is three and the baby is ten months old.

"Her name is Lillian," Maggie tells me. "But we call her Luna."

"Why do you call her Luna?" I ask.

"Because she was born on a full moon and it was beautiful just like her," she replies with such honest sincerity I can't help but smiling in spite of the horrific morning this kid is having.

The name conversation comes later after I officially meet the redheaded three-year-old named Franny who is willing to let a strange man wipe her bum; after the ambulance arrives, and the paramedics cart away their mother leaving three little girls with a strange man.

Internally, I was panicking while the paramedics were here, but I was trying not to show it – that's what you're supposed to do with kids, right? After Franny had come out of the bathroom, I didn't know how to keep her away from her mother, who lay there bleeding in the middle of the kitchen floor. Of course, the kitchen is tiny, so it was hard to avoid. If you needed anything, you had to step around her. I went to the living room and got a blanket off the couch to cover their mom – Bella –because her housecoat had ridden up and I knew that she was probably cold there on the lino with blood leaking out of her head. To be honest, it looked as though the blood had stopped but she was still unconscious. I would have liked to have pulled her into my arms to make her more comfortable. She just looked as if she needed to be held, but the operator told me not to move her, and that help was on the way.

So I tried to do my best to distract the girls. The three of us sat there on the floor around the body as Maggie quietly stroked her mother's back. Franny was crying and repeatedly asking her mom what was wrong and then asking me why she didn't answer. At one point, Maggie snapped at Franny and told her to shut-up. Then Franny told her she wasn't allowed to say shut-up, and I just kept out of it because honestly, I couldn't blame Maggie for being freaked out. And what's wrong with shut-up anyway?

"Is your dad at work?" I asked the girls.

The look Maggie gave me made her seem years older than she was.

Franny volunteered more information: "Daddy's gone. Mommy asked him to leave."

"Franny, be quiet!" Maggie shushed her.

But Franny liked to talk. "He spanked Mommy when she didn't do anything wrong and then he hurt Maggie and Mommy said he wasn't allowed to live with us anymore."

Maggie gave me a look as if she dared me to say anything, so I kept quiet on that subject.

"Do you have any grandparents or an aunt or uncle I could call?" I asked.

"We have no one." Maggie said. "We take care of each other." Her tone was final.

At that point, I couldn't resist moving Bella's hair out of her face just a little bit so I could see her. How could this woman be taking care of these three children all by herself every day? Did they really have no help at all? I knew someone was going to have to go to the hospital with her, and I wanted it to be me. I didn't want to leave her, but I couldn't leave these little girls. So I pulled out my phone and did the only thing I could think of.

"Mom? I need some help."

XXXXXXX

A couple of minutes after I called Mom the ambulance arrived. The guys are quick and efficient and ask me a whole lot of questions I can't answer because I'm just some dumb stranger off the street. I don't really want them to know that, though. They ask if anyone can come in the ambulance with them, and I tell them I can't, but that as soon as my mom arrives to look after the girls, I will follow right behind.

Maggie looks as though she is debating throwing a fit because she can't go, but I pull her aside.

"I'm going to be honest with you kid. They aren't going to let you go by yourself, and I think if you leave, your sisters will be terrified with just me here. I'm a little afraid to be alone with Red myself," I whisper and give her a little smile.

She just stares at me and then, in spite of everything going on in her little world right now, gives me a little smile back. "Yeah," she says as she blows some of her long brown hair out of her face. "She can be pretty terrifying."

"My mom is awesome. Probably just as great as your mom. When she gets here, I'll go to the hospital so I can tell your mom that you girls are all okay because that is the first question she is going to ask when she awakes. Then we can figure out what we are going to do, okay?"

Maggie nods.

As we wait, Franny is dancing around to some cartoon about two kids named Stella and Sam. Stella has red-hair like Franny, and she kept asking Maggie if she wants to be Fred, who I think is the dog. I can't really keep up with all of it. They're watching on a laptop that Maggie had taken from her mom's room.

"We aren't really allowed to watch TV during the week, but it's probably okay, right?" Maggie asks me.

I don't know their mom, but I suspect the last thing she is going to be worried about when she wakes up, in a hospital, without her kids, is if they are watching TV or not.

"Yeah, I doubt she will mind," is all I say.

At some point, a nasty smell begins to make itself known, and the baby starts staring at me and making this weird grabby motion with both her hands. I had been reading her a book, and I'm pretty sure all that grunting was a sign that she was pooping, but I was hoping that my mom would hurry up. I already had to wipe one bum today.

"What is she doing?" I ask Maggie.

"That's the diaper change sign," she replies as though this is common knowledge.

"There's a sign for diaper change?" I ask, but inside I'm thinking what kind of baby signs that she needs a diaper change?

"There's a sign for everything," Maggie says. "How do you think deaf people communicate?"

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this kid. Her answer is so deadpan, and she seems like she's fifty years old, not six. I do wonder, though, if I was just reading a story to a deaf baby, so I ask Maggie if Luna can hear.

Maggie just kind of glares at me but doesn't answer and since my mom hasn't arrived, I pick up the baby and ask Maggie to show me her room so we can get this over with.

The baby's room is also the Double Stroller Mom's room. There is a single mattress on the floor in the corner of the room and a crib in another corner. Maggie gets out the diapers and a blanket and lays it on the bed.

"We change her on the bed," she says and then she starts singing a song about the moon to Luna.

Changing a poopy diaper is even worse than wiping Red's bum, but I keep telling myself that at least I'm not in the hospital right now, unconscious and bleeding from the head.

As I'm walking back to the living room with Luna in my arms and Maggie close beside, Mom shows up.

"Oh, Edward!" She says bringing me in for a half-hug since I have a baby in my arms. Mom has this look on her face when she sees me holding Luna, and I know exactly what she is thinking, but I ignore it. Right now is not the time to discuss how much she wants grandkids.

She sees Maggie beside me and crouches down so they are on the same level. I notice she has a giant bag filled with toys and snacks with her. How the hell she had time to do all that, I have no idea. She's probably been stockpiling things in the hopes of being a grandmother someday.

"Hi, I'm Edward's mom. You can call me Esme. What's your name?"

And with that, my Mom has officially taken over.

XXXXXXX

A little while later I'm sitting in the hospital room, and double stroller mom is still unconscious. My mom went through her things and packed a bag for her (I never would have thought to do that) and even found her wallet. I lied to the nurses and told them I was family, and that we were cousins. I almost told them that I was her husband, but then I told myself to shut the hell up.

Bella (I need to start calling her that, it's much easier to say) lays there pale and still. She's breathing, but that's the only movement, and it's kind of creepy. In her hospital gown, under the white flannel sheet, I can see just how thin she is, and I can't help but wonder what her life is like. She lives in a tiny house with three young daughters, and according to Maggie, no help. According to Red, she asked their dad to leave after an unwarranted spanking, but who knows what the hell that really means when it isn't filtered through the mind of a three-year-old.

The nurse told me to talk to her and even though it feels kind of foolish, I do it because I want her to know her kids are okay in case she is freaking out inside.

"Hey, double stroller mom." Ugh. This is hard.

"So, you don't really know me, but I'm one of the guys who works on the construction crew building the new sidewalks on your street."

To stop my nervous fidgeting I take her hand.

"I guess you had an accident this morning, and now you are in the hospital. Don't worry, my mom is looking after your girls. My mom is pretty much the best mom ever so your girls will be safe, although they would really like you to wake up. Your little mini-me, Maggie, is quite the amazing kid. I think she put me in my place about five times this morning. I can tell you're also one of the best moms ever, too."

I don't really know what else to say, but I like holding her hand. It's tiny and cold, and I feel like I'm doing something productive by holding it and keeping it warm.

"Emmett, that's my cousin, the one Franny calls Giant Man is still talking about your cinnamon buns. His wife isn't the best cook, and now he whines like a dog every time he sees you and your girls walking by. He's always hoping you're going to bring him more food. Of course, he's always hoping anyone will bring him food. I bet he would sit on the floor by your table and beg for scraps if given the chance."

"My name is Edward by the way. I was working in front of your house this morning, which is where your daughter found me. I'm so glad she did." At this point I feel like crying but I push those intrusive 'what-if' thoughts, as my therapist calls them, away.

I feel like I should talk more, but I don't really know what to say. I don't know what to say in normal situations, and this one is definitely not normal. There are things I would like to say; like how I watch her every time she walks by pushing that double stroller. How I am in awe of her strength to raise three little girls on her own after asking their dad to leave even though I don't know the whole story. I can tell she is strong even if she looks like a frail bird lying under the hospital sheet. I want to tell her that sometimes I've dreamed about being invited to the playground with her and her girls or taking her out on a date. I don't want to tell her the dream I had about her because I already feel like a creepy-stalker-dude, and I'm sure she is going to be freaked out enough when she awakes.

Instead of talking, I watch her and hold her hand and hope, and maybe even pray a little, that she will wake up soon and be okay.

* * *

 **A/N** : I am so touched that you are all excited about me continuing this story! Thank you all for your kind reviews – I read them all but I rarely do replies because I just never know what to say. This is the end of the entry from the Meet the Mate Contest so next week we start with all new content. Will Bella wake up? I guess you will have to come back and find out.

Thanks, as always to **SunflowerFran** who tries to make everything sound good and proper – even though I don't always want it to sound that way. You will find out why eventually. And thanks to **Darcysmom** who helped edit this chapter for the original contest entry.

Have a wonderful long weekend (for those who have one) and see you next week.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

I'm probably sitting in the hospital room for half an hour, not really talking, just holding Bella's hand, when a tall man in a police uniform enters the room. He looks me over slowly.

"Who the fuck are you?"

I'm taken aback by his abrupt manner, and he is glaring at my hand holding Bella's so I slowly let it go and place it under the blanket as I tell him my name.

"I'm, uh, her cousin?" The lie comes out more like a question, and he continues to glare at me.

"Bella doesn't have any cousins. At least none that I know about."

"Well, I'm a close friend and Maggie found me this morning after Bella fell and hit her head."

"So she wasn't attacked?" The police officer asks, and I see his shoulders relax. Why would he wonder if she was attacked? Is this common? So many questions run through my mind, but I don't feel confident enough to ask them.

"No. I mean, it didn't seem like it." I tell him the whole story starting with Maggie finding me and waiting for the ambulance, my mom taking over, and then coming to the hospital. He's trying to look tough but when I repeat some of the things Maggie said to me I can see his lips twitching, and he nods his head knowingly. He obviously knows this family, and I'm starting to worry that he might be a boyfriend. He's tall and blonde and has a respectable, steady job. What woman wouldn't want to date him?

"I heard the emergency call over the wire, but I was busy and couldn't do anything about it at the time."

"Do you, uh, know Bella well?" How could I not ask?

He looks me over a bit and says, "well enough." There's that faint smile on his lips again. He's making me nervous. I didn't have the best luck with cops when I was younger, which was entirely my fault, and I feel like he can read my past history just by looking at me.

We are both silent for a bit and then he looks at his watch and asks me if I'm going to be staying a while. When I reply in the affirmative, he tells me to let Bella know that Jasper stopped by and she is to contact him as soon as she is feeling up to it.

"If she isn't well enough to call I want you to update me on what's happening."

He hands me his card and leaves.

Officer Whitlock.

Damn. If they're on a first-name basis that probably means they're dating, or something. I rest my head on the side of Bella's bed and hope that I'm reading too much into it.

XXXXXXX

I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep until something starts twitching in my hand. Jolting awake my neck immediately screams in protest, but there she is, staring at me from her hospital bed with sleepy eyes. Feeling silly for having her hand in mine (and not quite certain how it got there again), I gently put it back on the mattress for her. She slowly looks down at it and then back at me.

"Rusty?"

That wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I suspect she is on some serious drugs because she's looking at me in a fuzzy way. Does she mean her voice feels rusty?

"Am I dreaming again? What are you doing here Rusty?"

Oh. She's talking to me. Is she calling me Rusty?

I think about this for a moment. Did she give me a nickname too? All of a sudden, my heart takes a leap up my throat at the thought that maybe she noticed me.

But then she really wakes up.

And sits up.

"My girls. Oh no. What am I doing here?" She is trying to get out of bed, but she has an IV attached to her arm.

"Hey, hey," I say in what I hope is a calming voice. I'm trying to copy my dad's doctor voice.

"You're girls are fine. Lay back down before you hurt yourself and I will tell you everything."

She looks at me skeptically but lays back down while I search for the nurse-call button.

She lays back on the pillow, and with her dark hair spread around her pale face she looks like an angel. A sickly angel, but still.

"Where are my girls?"

"They are safe and at your place with my mom. You must have fallen in the kitchen because I was working on the sidewalk out front when your little, mini-me, um, I mean, Maggie, came outside and found me. You were unconscious and bleeding from the head."

When I say that her eyes go wide, and the arm that isn't attached to the IV goes to the bandage on her head. "Poor Maggie," she whispers so quietly it takes me a moment to figure out what she said. "She must have been terrified."

"She was scared," I admit. "But she took charge right away."

An older nurse with steel grey hair comes bustling into the room, takes one look at me and says, "You, out," in a thick French accent.

I don't want to leave Bella alone, but I do what I'm told. I suspect Bella probably wants me out of the room too.

Standing in the hallway, I pull my phone out and see I have a dozen missed calls and texts from Emmett. I'll deal with him later. I call my dad to see if he is working today.

"Edward, hello!" He says in his characteristic cheery way.

"Hi Dad. I'm at the North Campus hospital right now. Where are you today?"

"I'm there too. Are you okay? I saw that your mother called, but I was busy and haven't had the chance to call her back."

"I'm fine Dad. It's a, um, friend, I guess?" I say this because I'm not sure what I should call Bella. I mean, we aren't friends, but I would like to be.

"That sounds rather vague, son." I can hear him quietly laughing at me and the sound of shuffling papers in the background.

"I know. It's a weird situation, and a long-ish story that I will tell you about later."

"Well, what do you need from me?" My dad, he's a great guy, but he doesn't mess around.

"Nothing, I guess. I don't even know what is wrong with her. Hopefully, she doesn't need you at all."

My dad is a neurologist. It's kind of annoying. I mean, all those things you hear about brilliant people is true with him. My mom is a psychiatrist. They met in med school. Two brilliant people and they had me, a total dunce, for a kid. I often think they must be disappointed that they were left with only me, but they never act like it. I know I'm disappointed.

"She did hit her head pretty hard, though. It was bleeding."

"Well, I'm off work right now, and I haven't received any calls, but I can come up and see what is going on. What unit are you on?"

"She's still in emergency. Her name is Bella Swan."

"Okay son, see you soon."

With those words, he hangs up, and I lean against the wall and stare at the door to Bella's room willing the nurse to hurry up and finish so I can go back in and see her.

I read the texts from Emmett, most of them saying: "Where the fuck are you, dude?" And I groan.

Then I realize I forgot to tell my boss where I was. I've been missing from the job site for hours. I quietly knock my head against the wall as I dial his number.

"Edward, where are you?"

"Sorry Joe. There was an emergency, and I'm at the hospital."

I quickly explain to him what happened.

"The guys did say they saw an ambulance on the street."

"Yeah, that was for us. I'm sorry, I totally forgot about letting the guys know. My mom is with the little girls, and I'm at the hospital with the mom."

"No worries Edward, just give Emmett a call and let them know what's happening. They were starting to worry that the ambulance was for you."

I hang up and send a quick text to Emmett even though I hate texting: _at the hospitle with dble strller mom. Its a long store fill you in ltr._

He texts back: _Did you contact Joe?_

 _Yeh sry i fergot to let you guys no I was loking after the litle girls til my mom got ther and I totaly fergot._

 _What's wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?_

I shake my head even though Emmett can't see it. I hate being asked questions I can't answer, and he knows I hate to write. If I had more energy, I would give him a sarcastic remark or make something up, but instead, I just write: _how the fuck_ _shood_ _I_ _no_ and turn my phone off. He's tough, he can take it.

The grey haired nurse opens the door to Bella's room and is talking rapidly in French to her. When she sees me, she switches to English and tells me I can go back into the room until the doctor gets here.

I guess it's time to go and officially introduce myself to double stroller mom.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello everyone. Happy Friday again! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Big thanks to **SunflowerFran** for her editing work. And a huge thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. See you next Friday (I hope).

Edited to add: It is the season for contests right now! There are currently four that I know about going on: P.S. I Love You Twilight contest, 2016 (8203320), Falling Into Autumn contest, (8231569), Twilight Tricks and Treats contest, (8212820), and the Anything Goes TwiFic contest (8018582). The numbers in the brackets are for their Fan Fiction page. I'm hoping to write something for one of them but I'm not sure about timing or which one yet. If you are a writer then please consider playing along. If you are a reader then, well, get your eyes ready - lots of good stuff comes out of contests, like Double Stroller. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

The door to Bella's room is open a little, so I push it further and peek my head through. She is staring right at me.

"Hi, uh, is it okay if I come back in?"

She nods her head, but then turns it and looks out the window.

Now that she is awake, I don't really know what to say to her. The dark bags under her eyes seemed to have gotten darker, and it looks like she was crying.

"I'm Edward, by the way, Edward Cullen."

I sit in the chair and try to think of something to say when a doctor walks through the door.

"Miss Swan, I'm Doctor Alba, I'm the emergency doctor on call right now." He looks over at me and raises his eyebrow.

"I should go again," I say and get up to leave.

"No!" I look over at Bella, and she looks scared. "I mean, I was hoping I could talk to you. You have my girls."

"I was only going to wait in the hallway. I'm assuming you need to be examined," I look at the doctor when I ask this.

He nods his head. "This will be quick. Because of the nature of your accident, and the fact that you lost consciousness, I want to get you in for some tests right away."

Bella nods slowly. I think she must be still feeling the effects of whatever drugs they gave her. Plus she hit her head really hard, which I know all too well, can have extreme consequences.

"Okay."

I leave the room, but it feels like no time at all before the doctor comes out again and tells me I can go back in.

"Hi. Again." I say as I walk through the door. I start calling myself names in my head but when I see Bella smile a little, probably at my awkwardness, I relax a bit. I have to remind myself: no name-calling.

"Hi. I think I'm a little out of it."

"That's to be expected. I know from experience that hitting your head the way you did can really mess things around in there for a while."

"Are you saying I'm messed up in the head, Rusty?"

"NO! Of course not, I," I stop talking when I see her quietly laughing. Laughing at me, I presume.

"Did you just call me Rusty?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Now she looks embarrassed. "The girls and I noticed that your hair matched the rust on the back of your old truck. So, it seemed like a logical nickname, and I guess I started calling you that in my head."

I'm not sure how to process this information except that it means she definitely noticed me.

"Yeah, I guess that truck probably needs to be replaced." It's ancient, but I love it. I bought it from my old neighbour, Mr. Banner, when he couldn't drive it anymore, but it isn't exactly something you would take someone on a date in. I tried that once, and it ended in disaster.

"Oh no, I like it," Bella says enthusiastically. "It has so much character. And what's a little rust anyway? It matches your hair."

Then she giggles.

At this point, I feel like I'm flying. She noticed me. She gave me a nickname. She likes my truck. If I wasn't crushing hard on this woman before, I definitely am now.

"Are you always this jumpy?"

And now, I am crashing. I thought I was doing so well.

"Uh, yeah." I cringe. My answers are always so lame. "I have a hard time sitting still if my hands aren't occupied."

"You should take up knitting!" She says this with so much glee on her face that I have to laugh. Then she stops and says, "I'm sorry. I think whatever the nurse gave me is really starting to kick in. I had a terrible headache when I woke up but now I'm starting to feel a little loopy. You must think I'm crazy."

"Can I tell you something that might make you feel better?"

"What?"

"I actually do knit."

"You do?" Her eyes are wide, she reminds me of Maggie with her child-like look of excitement on her face.

I can't help but laugh. She's feeling a little stoned, I can see it in her eyes.

"Yeah, I learned years ago. It's something to do with my hands so I can focus. You're the second person to suggest that."

"Huh." Is all she says.

"Tell me about your mom? You said my girls are with her. How was my baby this morning? Poor Maggie. I hope Frannie did not freak you out too much; she can definitely be a handful. Do you know how long they were alone before you got there?" Bella starts rambling as she scootches down a bit on her pillow and closes her eyes.

Before I have a chance to answer any of her questions, there is a loud, vocal 'knock-knock' at the door and I turn to see a huge, Native American man taking up almost the entire door frame.

He looks pissed.

"Bella Swan, I should kick your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try Jake."

"Are you kidding? By the looks of you, a light breeze would blow you over. You just disappear? You stop answering our calls? Is he the reason why?"

He turns and glares at me. With my nerves going into overdrive I must look almost spastic. I really wish I had something to keep my hands busy with.

"Leave him alone Jake. He's a," she pauses here and looks at me. "He's a new friend who called the ambulance."

And then I am stunned to see this giant of a man look as if he's going to cry as he leans over to hug Bella.

"Girl, we missed you so much. Maria is going to kill you, you know that right?" He holds her for a really long time. When he lets go Bella is full out crying.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry Jake."

"How are my two sweethearts?" When Jake the giant says this, Bella visibly pales – which is quite the feat since she is already pale and sickly looking.

"What aren't you telling me Bee?"

Bella shakes her head. I can see a teardrop on the tip of her nose, she is looking down, picking at imaginary lint on her hospital blanket.

"Bee?"

"There are three now."

"Three? What do you mean three? Three kids? The last time I saw you, you had two." Jake's face is turning red. "Did you let that fucker touch you again?"

Bella is crying and shaking her head. "Not willingly."

It's quiet but I hear it. Jake hears it and goes as still as a statue, then he looks at me and I don't know what to do. I feel kind of like puking though so I put my head between my knees.

I don't know exactly what is going on, or who this Jake guy is, but that answer was pretty telling.

 _Not willingly._

And now there are three daughters.

I don't know who this ex-husband of hers is but I'm ready to start throwing punches, and Jake looks like he could start ripping apart the hospital. There is a vein on his forehead that looks ready to pop.

Bella glances over at me then looks at Jake and says something quietly while nodding her head in my direction. I'm not sure what she is saying because it isn't in English. And then Jake starts talking back to her in rapid-fire Spanish. I may not be able to speak the language, but I can recognize it.

After a couple minutes of heated discussion, in Spanish, Jake holds up his hands.

"Stop. I didn't come here to fight with you. I came to take you to get your scans done."

He starts prepping Bella to transfer into the wheely thing that will transport her to her tests. He's obviously still really mad, and Bella is sniffling and wiping her eyes.

"You realize when I tell Maria about all of this she is going to be sharpening her knives, right? You don't piss off a Spanish chef when it comes to the ones you love. Especially a pregnant, Spanish chef." Jake glances up and stares Bella in the eye.

"Oh Jake, I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't." He's shaking his head. "You just had to deal with everything on your own didn't you? And now look where you are. Still the same old Bee."

With one swift movement, Bella is transferred. I don't think I've ever before seen someone do it so quickly, or so angrily.

"Hey careful," I say before I realize what I am doing. He looks up at me and glares again. "Her head really hurts."

His expression softens as he looks down at Bella. "I'm sorry. I'm just so mad at you right now."

We hear another knock at the door and turn to see my father standing there.

"I see I'm a little late. Hello, Jacob."

"Hey, doc."

"Hello, son." He says turning to me. "And you must be Bella."

Jake looks at me and then at my dad. "Doctor Cullen is your dad?"

Dad and I both nod our heads and say 'yes' at the exact same time.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Cullen." Dad reaches out and takes Bella's hand.

Bella stares at my dad.

"I'm assuming these three cuties are your girls?" He holds up his phone. I don't see the photo he is showing her, but from the small smile it brings to her face, I can assume it is something cute.

He's good at this, my dad, at relaxing people.

"I also happen to be Edward's father and my wife is currently looking after your girls. I believe their names are Maggie, Frannie, and Luna – did I get that right?"

Bella's smile gets even bigger. She still looks so tired and scared, and her eyes are red and swollen, but that's a real smile, and it changes her whole look. She is so beautiful.

"That's right." She says softly.

I can see Jake manoeuvring to see the phone, probably trying to get a glimpse of the third baby he didn't know about. His stern expression softens when he sees it.

"That's my baby, Luna," she says, pointing to the phone and looking up at Jake.

"Now, I'm not technically on duty right now, but Edward was worried about you. I still happened to be at the hospital, so I thought I would come down and check on you. The doctor who looked you over while you were still unconscious thinks you need your head examined," with that comment, Bella's eyes go wide. "Sorry, a little neurology joke." My dad chuckles. He is such a nerd.

"What I really mean," he continues, "is that we are going to do some scans, but you already know that so I should let Jacob do his job."

Then Jake looks from my dad, down at Bella laying on the gurney (I remembered what it's called) and back up at me. "I approve," is all he says as he pushes her through the door.

Dad watches Jake wheel Bella out of the room and then he turns to me with a huge grin on his face.

"Your mother is in love." He says this while holding up his phone so I can see the photo. Mom was trying to take a selfie with all three girls, and they're all smiling. Well, Frannie is definitely smiling. Maggie looks happier than she did earlier today and there is a little smile on her lips. She is snuggled closely into my mother's side. Luna is sitting on my mom's lap, chewing on the tail of her stuffed rhino. All you can see of my mother's face is her grin because her head is cut off in the photo.

Those little girls don't know it, but they just found a grandmother whether they want one or not. I know my mother loves me. She has done everything she could for me, even when I didn't deserve it. But life hasn't been the same since my big sister died, and I know she misses having a daughter. I hope Bella lets us in. It sounds like she could use some help.

And then I think of her other words.

 _Not willingly._

I wonder what the fuck happened in that house. Regardless of what did, that baby is loved, anyone can see that. Little Luna, named after the full moon because 'it was beautiful, just like her.' Maggie said.

I look up at my dad who is studying me, but I have nothing to say.

What is there to say?

* * *

 **A/N:** Phew. How you all doing?

 **SunflowerFran** once again used her red pen to make this chapter sound better, and then I, once again, went through and changed things. All mistakes are mine.

You have all been amazing with your comments. Thanks so much for reading! I'll see you next Friday.

(Don't forget about all the contests going on. Info for them was at the end of the last chapter.)


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

While Bella is getting her scans done, I call my mom as I head down to the gift shop. I listen to her ramble on and on about how delightful the girls are and what a good mother Bella must be because the girls are so kind and polite.

Standing in the gift shop, I ask Mom to put Maggie on the phone.

"Hello, this is Maggie," she says when my mom hands her the phone, and I have to stop myself from laughing out loud.

This kid is six?

"Hi, Maggie. It's Edward."

"How's my mom?"

"She is awake and doing better. She misses you and hopes to come home soon. I'm still not sure when, but I will let you know as soon as I know, okay?" I explain to her.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay. Nana Esme is really nice."

Nana Esme is it?

Oh, Mom.

"That's good to hear, sweetheart."

The sweetheart just slipped out. I hope that wasn't weird.

There is no response from her, but I hear my mom in the background say, "she's nodding her head, Edward."

"I have an important question to ask you, Maggie. I'm at the gift shop right now, and I want to get your mom something. What type of flowers does she like?"

"She doesn't really like flowers unless they are outside in the garden. She says they make her sad because they die so quickly."

Okay. No flowers then.

"How about a balloon?"

"She hates balloons."

"Really?" What is wrong with this lady?

"She calls them an en-vi-ron-men-tal nightmare."

"Ah." I don't really know what to say to that. I guess I had never thought about it before. I suppose she is right, in a way. I'm starting to wonder though if Maggie has any friends her own age. I feel like I'm talking to an old lady.

I look around the gift shop and wonder what I can get Bella to cheer her up. There are some cheesy plaques and coasters with what are supposed to be inspirational messages on them. I see blankets, slippers, cards, religious trinkets. Stuffed animals.

"Hey Maggie, what about a stuffed animal?"

"She likes those. Especially soft ones, not the cheap ones you win at the fair that are stuffed with, uh, something. Some dust?"

Noted. Also, Bella sounds like she has some pretty strong opinions about things. I can't help but wonder what I am getting myself into here.

"Okay, thanks, Maggie. You can hand the phone back to my mom now."

I hear the scuffling sounds of a phone exchange and then Mom's voice. "Edward?"

"Nana Esme is it?"

"Oh, well." She laughs. "They had to call me something, and Dr. Cullen just sounds too formal."

"Sure Mom." I'm laughing at her, but that's okay, I know she is laughing at herself. "I told Maggie I would call back when I know anything. Try to get her not to worry so much."

"I don't know if that is possible, but I will try. We're getting ready to bake cookies since Luna is down for a nap, and that's always a good distraction."

Little Luna.

Mom is going to lose her mind when she finds out the story behind the third child. Mom used to be a psychiatrist, and she still is, in some ways. She gave up her practise after the accident that killed my sister, and, well, almost killed me.

We finish our conversation and I hang up. I stand there and stare at the wall of stuffed animals. I didn't ask if Bella had a favourite because one had already caught my eye. It's a good-sized teddy bear, and it looks really soft, like something you could really cuddle with. The best part is that there are smaller versions of the same bear in different colours. I pick up a big one in a light brown colour and three smaller ones in blue, pink, and green. Momma bear and her three cubs. Sometimes I even impress myself.

I need to run home for a bit but I'm not sure what is going on, and I'm nervous to leave. Are they going to keep her overnight? If they are, I know my mom would stay with the girls. I would like to stay with Bella. I know how awful it is to be alone in the hospital.

Returning to Bella's room, I find that she's still gone but there is an imposing woman standing there with her arms crossed and a look of distress on her face. I take a guess that this is Maria.

"You." She says when I walk in. Her accent is thick. "You are Bella's friend? You know about this other baby?"

"You must be Maria." _And I thought Jake was scary._

"Yes, I am. What the 'ell happened with my Bella?"

"I'm not sure ma'am." My fear of this large, pregnant, larger than life Spanish woman is making me become overly polite. "I've only just met Bella."

I give her the short story version of how Maggie came to find me and I can see Maria's stance relax a bit.

Jake pops his head in, looks at me and grins while saying something to Maria in Spanish.

"You her cousin?" Maria asks.

Jake laughs.

"I just needed to be with her, and make sure she was okay."

"It's cool man," Jake says. "We won't rat you out."

I must look silly standing there with four teddy bears in my arms so I lay them across Bella's pillow, arranging them just so.

"Are you going to be here for a while?" I ask Maria. "I would like to run home quickly and get some things in case Bella needs to stay the night."

XXXXXXXX

Jake sends me a text while I'm out letting me know that Bella will indeed be staying the night and has been moved to a room. I then call Officer Whitlock to update him on what is going on. Thankfully, it goes to voice mail and I don't have to talk to him.

When I get back to the hospital, Bella is asleep in her bed. She is curled up on her side with her arms wrapped around the brown bear.

It would probably be creepy right now if I took a photo of her sleeping, right?

I do it anyway.

She looks so peaceful, and well, maybe this is the only time I'll get to spend with her. Seeing her with the bear makes her look young and vulnerable. I imagine this is what Maggie looks like when she sleeps.

I sit down in the chair beside the bed, one that is much more comfortable than the one in the emergency room she was in earlier, and pull out my knitting. This is the main reason I needed to go home. I had an idea of something I could make for Bella, and my hands really do need something to do if I'm going to be sitting here.

A little while later, Bella wakes and seems surprised to see me.

"You came back."

"Of course. I have your kids, right?" I smile, hoping she will see it as a joke and not a threat.

"I remember. I'm not that drugged up. At least not anymore."

We sit there in silence for a bit.

"You weren't lying about the knitting."

"No."

More silence.

"Did they tell you what was wrong with you?" I ask before I realize that maybe she'll think it's none of my business.

"Yeah," Bella sighs. "Exhaustion and malnutrition. It's kind of embarrassing, really. They are only keeping me in for the night because I hit my head so hard, and was out so long. They want to keep me under observation."

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"Because I can't believe I let it get this far. I mean, I know the science behind it all – you can't be a good mom unless you are taking care of yourself, but sometimes, you have to make sacrifices, you know?" She looks me in the eye. "Well, you probably don't know, but sacrifices sometimes need to be made. Things have been hard since Luna was born. Money has been tight. Maggie has these terrible nightmares, and I've been trying to save up all my extra money so I can pay a therapist for her. But the only time I can get any work done is when the girls are asleep, which is never, so all of my contracts are drying up."

Bella is crying again, sobbing, actually. She's almost hysterical, and I don't even have to think about it; I get out of my chair and hold her.

"You don't need to do this alone Bella. I know you don't even know me, but Jake and Maria obviously care for you and Officer Whitlock was worried. And now you have me, and my mom who has nominated herself as Nana Esme." I pull back and look at Bella when I tell her about my mom, and she smiles a bit. "I don't know where your family is, but please let us help you."

"It's just that I'm so used to doing it all on my own, and after everything that happened, I cut everyone out. I didn't want them judging me."

"You don't have to, but would you tell me what happened? I heard what you said to Jake about Luna."

The nurse comes in at this point, and I reluctantly unwrap myself from around Bella. Now my shirt smells like her, and it would be wonderful to keep it like that, except I'm pretty sure she wiped her nose on me too.

After a quick look over, and some more medication, the nurse bustles out. Bella is lying on her back with her eyes closed. I figure the conversation is over for the night, but then she starts to speak.

* * *

 **A/N:** It is still Friday where I am so this isn't late! (At least not technically. I apologize for the wait.)

I'm a little sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger, but also a little not sorry.

So what do you think Bella is going to say? The good news is that the next chapter is written and has been to my wonderful Beta **SunflowerFran** who has already sent it back to me. So I won't make you wait as long next Friday.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and thank you for reading and all your wonderful comments.


	6. Chapter 6

**Trigger warning** : this chapter talks about rape. It isn't graphic but it's there. If you need skip it and contact me to find out what happened please do so.

 _ **Chapter Six**_

"I was nineteen and in my second year of university when I met James. In some ways, I was worldly because I had literally, almost lived all over the world. But in other ways, I was very naive. I had been homeschooled by my extremely religious, missionary parents until my last two years of high school."

Bella pauses.

"What happened then?"

"Then I came back here to live with Jake and his dad. I couldn't stand my parents anymore, and I no longer believed in what they were doing. They were becoming more extreme in their beliefs and basically using me anyway; trying to get me to spread their message among people who, as far as I could tell, had their own perfectly fine religions, and didn't need any help from us. Don't get me wrong, the experiences I had were amazing, and I learned so much from being immersed in all those different cultures. I probably know more about world religions than my parents ever will. But, eventually, I became a teenager, and according to my parents, rebellious and sinful. I was a sinner for wanting to go to a regular school and meet people. I was a sinner because I didn't feel the need to shove religion down the throats of everyone I met. I was a sinner because I breathed – that's just how my parents were.

Anyway, Billy Black, Jake's dad, was a friend of my parents. He's a preacher too, but much more grounded in reality, so it was decided that I would live with them until I finished high school. My parents expected me to join up with them again afterward, but instead, I got a job and a bunch of scholarships and went to university. That was the first strike against me in their eyes.

"Going to university?"

Bella nods. " _Nothing but an institution of moral degradation."_ Bella lets out a quiet little laugh. "And they weren't wrong. I moved into residence and lost my mind.

"For the first time in my life, I was on my own and surrounded by boys who weren't approved by my parents. And alcohol. I was young, pretty, and free."

"What happened?"

"Well, to be honest, the hangovers got old pretty fast, so my wild streak only lasted until mid-terms of the first semester. At that point, I knew I had to hunker down, or I would lose my scholarships. I wasn't much of a drinker anyway, and I really enjoyed my classes. I was working on a double major in Linguistics and Spanish. I could already speak French. And I was taking Japanese for fun."

"For fun? How many languages do you speak?"

Bella looks up from playing with her blanket, and she almost looks embarrassed.

"Four fluently and bits and pieces of others. And ASL."

"What's ASL?"

"American Sign Language."

"Wow." Is all I can say. I have a hard enough time with English.

"I'm a polyglot. I pick up languages easily. Probably a result of living all over the world when I was younger.

"But to get back to my story, I met James just after Christmas during my first year. It might sound like a typical abused woman scenario, but I swear he was a nice guy at the time. Even Jake, Billy, and my grandma liked him. That was another thing I learned when I moved back here – I had a grandmother I didn't even know about. I guess she didn't like my dad's idea of a profession, and they had a falling out when I was a baby. I had never met her even though my parents used this city as their home base when we weren't off on missions.

"Anyway, James was a musician, and a good one. He was studying classical and jazz piano. He was quite a few years older and working on his Ph.D. We hit it off right away, and when I got pregnant, he stood by me when my parents disowned me.

"I moved in with my grandma and things were going well for a while. She helped look after Maggie when she was born so I could continue with my classes."

"You and James didn't move in together?"

"Not at first. Before Maggie was born, we broke up for a while but remained friends. He required a lot of space with his music, and to be honest, I was happy to give it to him. He still spent as much time as he was capable of with Maggie once she was born and between my grandma and him, I was able to continue with school.

"But then my grandma died. She went to bed one night and didn't wake up.

"James decided to drop out of his program and stay home to look after Maggie so I could finish my degrees. We ended up getting back together, and it was comfortable, you know? It worked out well for a while but looking back now I can see the signs. Sometimes he would stay up for days writing music. Sometimes he would sleep for days. I thought it was just us adjusting to being a couple that lives together."

A tear slips down from Bella's cheek, and I can't help but lean forward and wipe it away.

"Thanks," she sniffs.

"So, the basement in the house was converted into a separate suite. I would rent it out to other students, and that would help us out enormously with the cost of living. My grandmother left me the house in her will, and there was no mortgage on it.

"James was getting weirder. He was always intense, but he adored Maggie and me. More than I adored him, I have to admit, but after living with my parents, it was nice to be with someone who cared. Still, I was trying to make things work because we had Maggie. When I graduated from university, we decided to have another baby. I know it was probably a stupid idea, but I just loved Maggie so much and wanted to give her a sibling – something I never had. James had no family and wanted another baby too.

"Anyway, usually I wouldn't rent the basement suite to men, only female students. But about a year after Frannie was born, we were having trouble finding a tenant and James approved the lease to a guy. He was in a band and wanted James to join. I laughed when I first heard this because James always made fun of bands – he was a strictly classical or jazz piano kind of guy. But the next thing I know, he was joining the band and staying out all night. When he came home, he would be drunk and before that, he almost never drank. Around this time, I found out that James had been on numerous medications for years for bipolar disorder. I thought he was just an intense musician, but it went deeper than that, and he had hidden it from me for years.

"The first time we got into a big fight was when I found out about his medication and how he was mixing it with alcohol. I did some research and found out the results could be dangerous – not just for those around him, but for his health as well. When I explained it to him, he broke down. He seemed contrite, and things went back to normal for a while. But that guy, Paul, still lived in the basement, and it wasn't long before James was out drinking again. He started blaming me for giving up his music, even though I was trying to get him to go back and finish his Ph.D. I think he had stopped taking his medications by this point too.

"Long story short, this lasted until Frannie was almost two years old. One night James came home, and he was on something, I don't know what it was, but he was in a rage, and when I tried to get him to leave, he hit me. Maggie tried to make him stop, and he hit her too; gave her a bloody nose. That woke him up real quick, and he started crying and ran."

"What did you do?"

"I called the police. That's when I met Officer Whitlock. I had them take photographs of our bruises and help me get a restraining order against him. I also had the basement tenant evicted. I couldn't have people like that around my children. Not even if they are their father.

"I packed up all of James' things and gave them to Jake so he could do the exchange. James was no longer allowed near us. I know that must have been hard on him but what else could I do? He wasn't the same person anymore.

"I didn't hear from him for months. Then one day the girls and I came home from the playground, and the house just felt weird. Do you ever get that feeling? I put Frannie down for her nap and Maggie and I were working on a puzzle when all of a sudden James was standing in our living room. He looked awful, and he smelled horrific. Maggie was terrified. I told James he had to leave because the cops would arrest him if they knew he was this close to us. But I'm not sure he even heard me. His eyes were glazed, and he was mumbling something that was too quiet for me to hear. I told Maggie to run to her room and close the door.

James pulled me down the hallway by my hair. I begged him to stop, but it was as if he was possessed. He kept screaming at me, saying we took his music away from him. Screaming that he couldn't hear the music anymore.

When he rolled off me, I could hear Maggie crying outside my bedroom door. That seemed to wake James from whatever trance he was in. He looked at me with clear eyes and said, "I should kill myself for what I've done to you." He opened the bedroom door, and Maggie was lying there sobbing, begging him not to hurt her mommy. She had heard the whole thing. He tried to talk to her, but when he went to touch her, she started shrieking in terror. He panicked, I guess, and ran out of the house.

"When Jasper and his partner arrived I had three broken ribs, a black eye, and, although I didn't know this at the time, another baby on the way."

There are tears rolling down Bella's cheeks, and I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"Where is James now?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him since, and Jasper hasn't been able to find him. There's a warrant out for his arrest since he broke the terms of the restraining order, and for what he did to me. I don't even know if he's still alive. I doubt he knows about Luna.

I can tell Bella is getting sleepy again. She had her eyes closed for the latter half of her story. I still have so many questions, but they can wait. I'm surprised she told me this much.

"You should get some sleep."

"I know," she says with a yawn. "I'm sorry to unburden myself on you like this. I guess I haven't had anyone to talk to in a long time. Well, at least another adult." There is a sad smile on her face. "You must think I'm one of the stupidest people you've ever met."

"Yes," I reply. "So stupid you speak four languages and graduated from university at the age of twenty-one with a double major and a baby. You're a real dummy Bella Swan."

"Well, book smarts, and language smarts don't always translate into life smarts, do they." She yawns again then opens her eyes and looks right at me. "You don't have to stay the night Rusty. I will be okay alone here."

"I know. I want to. I think you have been alone enough." She looks up at me when I say that, and there is an expression on her face that I can't read.

"Besides, it's always nice to know there's someone looking over you when you're staying in the hospital."

"You're one of the good guys, aren't you, Rusty." The last little bit is barely above a whisper, and I can hear her breathing deeply as she falls into a deep sleep while saying it.

"I want to be, for you," I tell her even though I know she is already asleep.

* * *

 **A/N** : I haven't been feeling well this week so I've decided to update early as a present to myself and to everyone else. Of course this means you have to wait over a week until the next chapter updates.

Thanks **SunflowerFran** for your hard work on this chapter. It's an intense one and I tweaked it until the very end so all mistakes are mine.

How we all doing?


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_  
**

It had been a long night. I couldn't stop thinking about all the things Bella told me - some of the more gruesome ones played over and over in my mind. At times, I wanted to find James and rip his throat out, but then I would think about Emmet's schizophrenic cousin, a guy we used to play with when we were little, and I would wonder what James's real story was. I've lived with a psychiatrist my entire life, so I know that untreated mental illness can lead to some awful things.

We were both exhausted this morning. It felt like every time I dozed off last night, a nurse would come in to check on Bella. But if I thought I felt sleepy, I could only imagine how Bella was feeling. Right now, she is asleep beside me in my truck as I drive her home. I insisted Bella wait for me in front of the hospital, and I was a little embarrassed pulling up in my old truck, but her big smile put me at ease.

"This really is a great truck," she said after I had helped her into the cab.

"Thanks." I don't know why, but the fact that she liked my truck made me feel ridiculous - like I'm living in a romantic country song.

"You look like you need a cowboy hat or something to drive this thing." Bella laughed. That country song feeling just got stronger.

Even though I knew she was exhausted and eager to get back to her girls, she was still smiling at me.

"You know, I don't really know anything about you. Maybe you actually _are_ a cowboy. Do you live in the country?" She was rambling again, which I now know means she was getting sleepy.

"Uh, no. I'm a city boy, I guess." I didn't want to tell her that I still lived with my parents. Until this moment, it never bothered me, but knowing how independent Bella is I can't imagine it would look good.

"You guess?" Bella said as she let out a big yawn.

"Well, I think I would prefer living in the country, to be honest. It's quieter. But I've always lived here. I don't have your worldly experience."

I looked over when I finished talking and saw Bella nodding slowly. Moments later, she was asleep.

I'm driving so I can't keep looking at her, but I like this.

I like her in my truck.

XXXXXXX

The moment we walk through the front door of Bella's house chaos erupts. I never knew three small girls could make so much noise. Maggie and Red attacked their mom and Bella is pulled to the ground. Red won't stop talking, and Maggie is sobbing hysterically. My mom is standing there holding Luna, and even she is making a noise that sounds like _mum-mum-mum-mum-mum_. Her chubby little arms are trying to reach Bella, while she simultaneously keeps hitting herself in the chin with her thumb while the rest of her fingers stick straight up. She's cute, but that kid is a little weird. Mom eventually drops Luna right into the middle of the hug pile.

The noise is something I'm not used to, and normally it would bother me, but it doesn't. There is so much love in this room right now, and even Mom is all misty-eyed and smiling.

Fucking country songs.

XXXXXXX

Eventually, the girls let Bella stand. Red dragged Luna (almost literally) into the living room to play a game, and Maggie is glued to Bella's side. Mom is in the kitchen making tea.

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen. I can't thank you enough for looking after my girls."

"Oh now," Mom waves away Bella's thanks while also trying to dry her eyes. "I'm happy to help, and your girls are precious."

Mom grabs Bella for a hug. "And you call me Esme. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other."

Bella looks a little shocked at that, but Mom gives her the eye and Bella nods before looking over at me. I guess I should have warned her.

"Now," Mom starts up again, taking charge. "There is dinner in the oven. The girls and I walked to the store and got some groceries this morning."

"Oh." Bella looks embarrassed. "I should pay you back for all of this."

"No, you really shouldn't." Mom shakes her head. "That big stroller was a real workout, let me tell you. It is no wonder you are exhausted if you are pushing that thing all over the city.

"Now, have a cup of tea and try to rest a bit. Edward and I are going to leave you and the girls alone for a couple hours."

Bella starts to say something, but Mom cuts her off.

"But only for a couple hours so you can spend some time with your girls. Then we are coming back because there's a lot we need to discuss, understand sweet girl?" She is holding Bella again, this time at arm's length while looking in her eyes. "You're not alone anymore."

Bella nods.

"Edward, I'll need a ride home. Your father came by and took the car." I shake my head. Dad's a bit of an hippy and refuses to own more than one car.

With hugs and kisses for "Nana Esme," my mom swoops out of the house laden down with all her bags.

"Do you feel okay?" I ask Bella, nervous to leave her.

"Yeah. I think so. I mean, what is the likelihood of me passing out again?" She tries to make light of it, but I can see she is nervous too.

"I know my mom can be overwhelming, but she can help. We both can. You'll need to tell her your story."

"I know." Bella whispers, all of a sudden acting like something fascinating is happening on the floor.

"Hey, look at me." She looks up, and I hope the smile I am giving her is a reassuring one. "My mom is the last person to judge you. Nana Esme, remember? She is already in love with all your girls."

"I'm, just," she trails off.

"You're just used to being alone. I know."

"Thanks, Rusty. For everything."

"You call me if you need us to come back earlier. Mom thought you would want some time to be with your girls, but if you need us we'll come running."

I want to hug her, but I don't know how she would take that. Maggie has stood right beside her mom all this time, eyes bouncing between us as we talked.

"Bye, Maggie. I'll see you later, okay?"

All I get is a little wave. Once I am out the door and heading down the steps, I hear my name being called quietly.

"Edward."

Maggie is standing on the stoop holding a piece of paper. I walk back and stoop down to her level. She flinches a bit so I back up.

"I made this for you."

Holding the paper, I can see four figures. Round heads, long stick arms, longer stick legs, smiling faces, crazy hair. The figures are standing in descending order. Three have dark hair, and one has a mess of red scribbles. I'm never going to be able to look at this drawing without smiling.

"Thank you, Maggie. This means a lot to me."

"Yeah?" She is looking me in the eye, checking for sincerity.

"Definitely. I'll be back soon." I catch myself before saying something like, _look after your mom_. I suspect she has been doing that for a long time and doesn't need any more pressure.

Maybe I should have said, _try to be a kid for a while._

XXXXXXX

Mom and I drive home in almost total silence. When we get near to home she says, "she told you her story?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure she will tell you later. She needs you, Mom."

"Oh, my boy. That girl needs us both."

After a couple more moments of silence Mom says, "Alice would have loved her."

She's right. I've thought about that many times over the last twenty-four hours.

When I pull the truck into the garage, Mom turns to me.

"You going to your workshop?"

"How did you know?"

"You have that look in your eye. The look you get when you have something that needs to get out."

She isn't wrong.

She rarely is.

I need a shower first, after spending the night in a hospital chair. After that, I'm tempted to have a nap, but I don't. I walk next door and let myself into our neighbour's garage.

I've always been jumpy. First, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Then ADHD. I was always getting into trouble in school, but I was popular and into sports, which the teachers seemed to like, so it was only minor trouble. After the accident, I was angry. So angry. Mom said it was a result of the brain injury. I was fourteen, and while I didn't like school much, I had at least learned to deal with my shortcomings over the years. Having a brain injury changed everything. Where I was jumpy before, after I wanted to crawl right out of my skin. I turned wild. When I think about those days, I was almost feral, and I am ashamed of what I put my parents through so soon after they had lost their daughter.

Mom eventually pulled me out of school and started homeschooling me. Without that change, and if I hadn't seen a therapist, they probably would have lost me too.

However, I need to give Mr. Banner just as much credit for saving my life. I used to hang out with him when I was little. He had a wood shop in his garage, and I was always fascinated by the things he used to make. It was there we learned that if I could keep my hands busy I could focus better. Except, the school wouldn't look fondly on my whittling away in class. That's when my sister, Alice, had the idea that I should learn to knit. Alice was brilliant, just like my parents. She was seven years older than me and always came up with ideas that would help me focus better in school. She decided that she would learn to knit so she could teach me. I think it was the only thing I was ever better at than her.

When Mom started homeschooling me, she made an agreement with our neighbour. I spent the morning at school with her and the afternoon learning all about woodworking and cabinetry from Mr. Banner.

Mr. Banner is riddled with arthritis now, and his eyes aren't what they used to be. His little workshop is mine, and I can come and go whenever I want. I try to spend a couple hours every day here, but lately, with work, I haven't been in as much as I'd have liked. I only have a bit of time before I get to see Bella again but that's enough to get started.

Breathing in the heady scent of wood and sawdust I hang up Maggie's picture and start sketching out what I want to make for her. Maggie is a special girl so she deserves something extra special.

Last night I spent a long time thinking about how we could help Bella. Since, once upon a time, I used to be charming and persuasive; I'm going to insist she takes it even if she doesn't want our help. Maybe. I don't know. I feel like that is kind of taking away her choice but she isn't afraid of me so that has to count for something.

I don't always believe everything happens for a reason – I mean, what was the point of the accident that took away my big sister? But maybe, sometimes things do. I truly believe we are meant to help this family. Bella said she hadn't been able to get much sleep because of Maggie's nightmares. She had been trying to save up for a therapist. Well, that can't be a coincidence.

Life threw my mom and me in their path for a reason. I doubt Bella would want to date someone like me, but I can be a worthy friend to all of them. At least, I think I can. It's been a while since I've thought about anyone else but myself, but this seems like a good time to try.

* * *

 **A/N:** A big thanks and an extra big hug to my Beta **SunflowerFran** who lost her mom this weekend. She still took the time to edit this chapter and make my words sound better. I admit it, I fiddled afterward so all mistakes are mine.

Thank you all for reading and your wonderful comments. I'm hoping I can have another chapter out by the end of the week to make up for the last couple weeks of illness. Fingers crossed.

More answers in this chapter. How are you all doing?


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